Long Shot
by barefoot11
Summary: Feliciano's nightmares are usually filled with eerie surroundings and the evil Allies - but in this one comes something even more terrifying. Human names used, N. Italy/Germany


_It was dark. That was always a bad sign. Darkness with an overhanging sense of doom ultimately spells demise. Feliciano whimpered, and heard his own cries echoing from the damp walls. He didn't want to be there; he wanted to be at home, sleeping or eating pasta or… something. But he didn't want to be there. When he pulled fruitlessly against the ropes around his ankles and wrists, it irritated his skin enough to flush it red. "Ow…" He didn't like pain, he didn't like the dark: he didn't like it there._

I felt it

_Shadows danced on the walls around him, and he could hear muffled voices somewhere near. They… they were probably thinking of ways to kill him! The thought made a scream climb up Feliciano's throat, but he knew that if he shouted, they'd come for him. He tried thinking of his favorite song to calm himself, but no matter how many songs he went through, time dragged on. Hours, maybe minutes passed while he contemplated how terrible the whole situation was._

The wire touched my neck

_Like a swinging blade that was hovering over his neck and slowly advancing, the terror made him squirm. At any moment, they could appear and hurt him. He didn't want to be hurt! Again, in a blind panic, he pulled at the rope – nothing. "D-Doitsu, save me," he pleaded numbly, as a last resort. Tears began to blind his vision; he was so scared. He was so scared, and so alone._

And then someone pulled it tighter

_Suddenly, a door opened, and light filled the room. Feliciano's spirits rose when he realized that help had finally come for him! "Doitsu," he called automatically. "You came!" He knew it was Ludwig: who else came to his rescue when he needed it? His smile widened when the door closed, but it fell like bricks when the figure came closer. "…You're not Doitsu!" He accused, when pale purple eyes burned into his. Instantly, he was wailing his trademark excuses, "P-Please don't hurt me! I'll do anything, just don't h-hurt me!"_

I never saw it coming

_The figure raised his arms into the air, and a metallic object glinted. An evil smile stretched over the fine lips, before it twisted into a scowl when light once again filled the room. He turned, seeing who dare interrupt…_

I started to black out and

_When the light pried Feliciano's closed eyes open, he knew he wasn't being mistaken this time. He screamed, "Doitsu, help!" The name was so comfortable on his lips – he could say it over and over, and it still wouldn't cease to ease his worries. His wide, vulnerable eyes searched the darkness, past the figure before him, to his savior._

_Ludwig moved quickly forward, and with one swift movement, managed to knock the would-be attacker to the ground. He didn't have to do anything more, the other was out cold._

_Feliciano smiled brighter than the sun in appreciation. While the blonde started to silently untie him from the cruel chair, he cooed, "Doitsu's so strong~! He saved me with one hit, how amazing! Thank you, thank you!" He felt physical relief as the circulation resumed itself in his hands and feet. He gratefully looked to the one before him. "I love you!" He got to his feet, and then jumped a bit to reach the other in a huge hug. In a flourish, he inclined his head, about to kiss those– wait._

…_K-Kiss? Love?_

"Italy!"

_Then someone said, 'Good morning.'_

"…Vee?!" The shout pulled Feliciano into consciousness, rousing his senses and effectively startling the daylights from him. He frantically opened his eyes, searching the haze that was reality for the source of the noise. He was met with clear blue eyes, most likely the first and last eyes he wanted to see at the moment of realization. Not that he knew it was a realization at the time.

_I took it as I warning_

Ludwig hastily said, "You were having another nightmare! Are… are you okay?" He honestly hadn't meant to scare the poor man.

He blearily stared for a few moments. His face felt so hot and sweat, like it always did after one of the scary dreams of his. Within one hand he clutched the bed sheets. Darkness covered them like another blanket, the same darkness that had been in his dream. He pouted.

Sighing, Ludwig questioned, "Who was it this time?"

"R-Russia-san," he replied reluctantly, a slight moan in his voice as amethyst eyes were pulled foremost into his memory.

Ludwig nodded. "Figures. All of the Allies in a row…" He rubbed his tired eyes, willing himself to focus for a few more moments. He cast a weary glance down at the Italian. "…Do you think you can fall back asleep? It's about… two in the morning."

The moon's dim glow fell on him from above, awing the smaller man for a moment before he could respond with, "M-Maybe…" He looked away, knowing that, most likely, slumber would be impossible. With this new dream, not only did a shaking fear grip him, but a concept of love that he hadn't felt since he had been a child.

Ludwig, exhausted, took no notice to the nostalgic glaze to the auburn eyes, and rose from the bed. "Alright, try your best." He walked around the bed to his side, long grown used to sharing it with his smaller Ally. "Goodnight, Italy." He lay down and pulled the sheet tightly over his shoulders and turned, so that his back was to the other.

Feliciano, once again, jutted out his bottom lip. How unfair was this all? He gets a nightmare and a confession rolled into one… but was the confession all that sudden? No, he thought, it wasn't. He had loved Ludwig all along, and that was okay! As he turned over, about to fall asleep again in content that he hadn't fallen in love, a thought as quick as lightening hit his mind: it hadn't been _that_ kind of love before. He had never wanted to _kiss_ him before. Never wanted to… Eyes wide open; he took to just staring at the wall.

_I should have seen it coming_

* * *

Normally, he adored cooking in the late mornings. He felt so free when he was able to add so many unlike things together within a bowl and mix it together until it formed something incredibly tasty. In some aspects, it reminded him of his favorite countries – everyone was so different, and yet that brought them together. Some… even closer than others…

On a day after waking from a sleepless night, things weren't so cheery for him.

_So I'll take a chance on_

Feliciano spent every moment making sure that his elbow didn't bump against his friend's. It constantly ripped his focus from the mixing bowl. It had never been so awkward before, those casual little touches… though it erupted his heart, he didn't want to risk anything! He had never been known for being so cautious before, and it was almost fun to explore this more weary side.

_This thing we may have started_

Ludwig was reading from the recipe book – contradicting Feliciano's method of throwing in anything that looked right. Of course, his arms were bent, and this was where the redhead's problems were stemming from.

He chewed on his lip, fully watching the other's hands so that not a single movement would catch him off guard. Inevitably, his stirring became a bit more lopsided, making bits spew from the bowl. Oblivious, Feliciano just kept stirring…

"…Italy."

Stirring…

"Italy!"

Stirring…

_Intentional or not I_

"Italy, you're making a mess!" Ludwig reached out, grabbing his dazed and destructive friend by the wrists. He leaned down to look at the red-head in the eyes. "…Is anyone in there?" he questioned, when met with blank orbs of auburn.

_Don't think we saw it coming_

Feliciano blinked twice before he came out of his thoughts and into the real world. "Ah! Doitsu," he exclaimed, instantly cheery when seeing those blue eyes. "Hi!" Then he caught hold of the pressure on his wrists, and was instantly reminded of the dream in its entirety: from beginning to end. He flushed, and glanced at his captive arms. "D-Doitsu?"

_My heart beat beats me senselessly_

In a jerky movement, Ludwig let go of the smaller one and adverted his gaze. "…You made a mess of the dough," he mumbled, looking toward the splattered cupboards and sticky counters.

_Why does everything have to be so intense with me?_

Thinking quickly for once, Feliciano chirped, "I've got pasta in the fridge~! I could share."

_I'm trying to handle all this unpredictability_

He looked fondly at the other. "…Yes, when don't you have pasta?" And when the question prompted a verbal list of times Feliciano didn't have pasta ("When I'm sleeping, when I'm playing with cats, when I'm running from enemies, when I'm sleeping…"), the blonde was just glad that whatever trance had overcome him earlier was gone, and that the smile was back.

* * *

_It's a long shot and I say, "Why not?"_

After days and weeks of endless torture, Feliciano was at his wit's end. He didn't _want_ to tell his friend how he felt. But he didn't want to spend the rest of his many, long, days just wondering how different it all could be. He wanted to love, and be loved in return. Was it honestly too much to ask?

_If I say, "Forget it," I know that I'll regret it_

Apparently it was, because the usually happy days that he found himself in had been far and scarce since that nightmare/eye-opening-realization. For some reason, he was tripping over his shoelaces too often, dropping his pasta bowls, and tipping over things way too often. Sure, he had been clumsy before, but this all was overkill.

_The chance is we won't make it but I know if I don't take it_

In his mind, Feliciano took this as a sign – a sign that his affections must be meant to be shared!

_There's no chance_

That put a smile on his lips, when the thought crossed him, as he was walking in his friend's pleasant backyard. Flowers grinned up at him, and happy birds cheered him on. He wasn't even thinking that anything bad could come from it as he backtracked, and skipped into the back door.

'_Cause you're the best I've got_

But Feliciano was ever the optimist.

_So take a long shot_

* * *

Confidence was in each of his steps as he walked through the familiar household. But none of the rooms seemed to hold his friend. It was curious, but he wasn't going to draw suspicions quite yet, since there was one room he hadn't checked that he just _knew_ his friend would be in.

Cautiously, he eased open the study's door. Through the crack, he saw the blonde hunched over the desk, grumbling and mumbling as he filled out papers. It made Feliciano smile about how much he was reminded of a grumpy dog. He pulled open the door just a bit, just so he could slip through. He made no noise whatsoever as he crept across the tile flooring.

Finally, just when his target was in arm's reached – he attacked, by placing his small hands over the other's eyes.

There was a startled response, and Ludwig dropped his pen.

"Guess who~?" Feliciano sang, smiling like no tomorrow.

Grudgingly, Ludwig said, "Italy."

_I realize that there is all this doubting_

His laugh came out more like a giggle, since he was so giddy with anticipation. He pulled his hands away, and then rested his chin on the other's shoulder. "What're you doing?" He could feel the other go a bit stiff under the contact.

"…Paperwork," he replied, picking up his pen again, but not writing a word.

"You know," Feliciano began, drastically changing the subject, "You know that nightmare I had a while ago? The one with scary Russia-san?" He didn't wait for any affirmation or response before going on. "You were in it, too~!"

_Things we're both scared about but_

Confused, Ludwig settled his lips into a frown. "What? What was I doing in your _nightmare_?"

_We'll never see them coming_

The Italian quietly chuckled. "You were the hero, of course! You were so strong, and you saved me without as much as a fight~!" He cracked a wide smile. "And I love you so much because of it!"

_Throw caution to the wind and_

Implications drawn and boundaries set, Ludwig managed to flush a rather odd color. "Wh-What does that mean?" he asked, rather unsteadily.

Feliciano didn't understand the shake in the other's voice. "It means I love you~! Do you love me too, Doitsu?"

_We'll see which way it's blowing_

Silence was the last thing the redhead expected to respond to his confession. Only the dropping of a pen broke it, but then the quiet was back again. He began to feel perplexed. "Doitsu?" He harmlessly poked the other's cheek.

_And into this fully knowing_

"I…" Ludwig bit his bottom lip, unsure. Was the other being serious for once in their life? It was a rare occurrence, and he would take advantage of it if it presented himself, but…

"You what~?" he asked, too much oblivious pep in his voice for someone in his position.

_We'll never see it coming_

"I… love you too, Italy."

_Until it's much too late to stop_

The squeal Feliciano produced made a little girl's go to shame. He wrapped his arms around the other's neck, and babbled, "Oh, I knew it, I knew it! I knew Doitsu wouldn't keep me around if he didn't love me~! He wouldn't protect me if he didn't love me, either!" He couldn't believe that, on that first night, he had actually thought that the feeling hadn't been real!

_Oh, I waited for fact to become fiction_

"Perfect, perfect, this is perfect, Doitsu," Feliciano continued, not once releasing the other from his hold. He didn't ever want to let go.

_And you fit my description_

Ludwig sputtered and tried to form words, but articulation wasn't on his side at the moment. The criminally happy man behind him simply made his heart float as well. It was weird – out of all the confessions he'd seen in foreign dramas, none of them were as bland or as simple as his. But, the feeling was still there.

_I never saw you coming_

"And we'll be together forever and ever, nee?" Feliciano exclaimed, finally letting the other go, and spreading his arms wide. "Nothing could ever tear us apart!"

And Ludwig stood from his chair, and turned to finally face the other. He stared at him for a moment, reflecting on how much he looked like an eager dog, before he allowed himself a small laugh and mumbled, "Of course."

_But we'll make it_

* * *

**A/N**: -ends fail there-

Lyrics from: _Long Shot_ by Kelly Clarkson that I do not claim ownership of.

I... can't write Italy. You don't have to tell me. I know.


End file.
